An initiative that faced resistance to water

“Now is not the time for ease and comfort, now is the time for courage and patience” – the wise words of Winston Churchill, which are relevant to the fight against wetness resistance that our sheep sector faces today.

Otago sheep farmer David Ruddenklaw’s decision 30 years ago to breed sheep that required very little watering (and eventually no watering) could be a game changer for New Zealand’s sheep sector.

The 1990s were a difficult time for the agricultural sector, particularly in North Otago, a region that spent much of the decade in debilitating drought.

David’s initial goal to reduce the amount and frequency of watering was not from a cost-saving standpoint, but from a “safety” standpoint, frustrated by the industry’s approach to watering a blanket every few weeks or months.

David stopped worming sheep in the early 1990s and then worked with AgResearch to identify genes in Newhaven breeding lambs and pigs that had the genetic resistance to “fight and continue to grow” when exposed to large numbers of worms. The feast or famine grass growth curve in North Otago meant that large numbers of worms often affected sheep during warm, wet periods following drought.